Means for protecting the exposed or live parts of electric switches, cut-outs, &amp;c.



No. 733,502 PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

W. MQDEVITT. MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE EXPOSED 0R LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES, GUT-OUTS, &0.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

aaul@ 53 5 1 z s LL 0Z -aZ PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

W. McDEVITT. MEAN-3 POE PRCTECTING THE EXPOSED OR LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES, CUT-OUTS, &u. APPLIICATION FILED APR. 14, 1903. no 1011211. 6 5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

'gz5, Z- E Z d a r1: 3 w

'w 0Z 6Z3 T k. Jfl 11 "1' I," w t 6 6L I I 1 g Z 0&

a fi gzzv (j w 8- J 4/////// l y //4/// 6 g a 1 a 11 O a a a) G bwwa mxo cx ma. wamna'rou No. 733,502. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. W. Mc-DEVITT. MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE EXPOSED CR LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES, CUT-OUTS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED APR,14, 190a.v

no MODEL. 9 a sums-sum: a.

I. Iii:

Mow

m: uonms virus :0. mom-urns" WASHINGTON. n. c.

PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

W. MoDEVITT. MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE EXPOSED 0R LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES, CUT-OUTS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

WWW 9M z WWW s cc. worn-mum" WASHINGTON No. 733,502. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903 W. McDEVITT.

MEANS FOR PROTEGTING THE EXPOSED OR LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITGHES, GUT-OUTS, &0.

APPLICATION FILED APE.14, 1903.

N0 MODEL. ,5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 WW0: wn/vvvom NITED STAT S Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC WILLIAM MCDEVITT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM W. HOLLINGS'WORTH AND WASHINGTON DEVEREUX, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE EXPOSED OR LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES, CUT-OUTS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,502, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed April 14,1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM McDEvITn'a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Protecting the Exposed or Live Parts of Electric Switches, Out-Outs, or the Like, of which the following isaspecification.

My invention has relation to a sectional insulated block for protecting electric switches, cut-outs, or the like without interfering with the safe handling or manipulation of the movable and active members in use of such devices or appliances.

Hitherto great loss of life and maiming of the body and limbs of persons have been occasioned from the handling or manipulation of electric appliances or devices from shock therefrom and want of proper insulation of active or exposed and live parts of the devices or appliances.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide means whereby all active and live parts of an electrical device or appliance are thoroughly insulated from each other, as well as concealed, and without interfering with an entirely safe handling or manipulation of the device or appliance, and, second, to provide means for concealing and protecting active or live parts of an electrical device or appliance, comprising sectional insulating fire and electric proof blocks, whereof one is channeled or grooved and recessed to receive and hold the device or appliance and whereof the other member of the block is complementally arranged to cover the electric device or appliance without interfering with the manipulation or safe handling of operating or removable parts of the device or appliance.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of means for protecting active or live members of an electric switch, cut-out, or the like to prevent burning out, short-oircuiting, as well as shock, in handling or manipulating the working or active parts of such an electric device or appliance when generally constructed, and the appliance or device is ar- Serial No. 152,517. (No model-l ranged therein substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature, scope, and characteristic features of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating several different forms or types of well-known switches and cut-outs adapted to be mounted in sectional insulating electric and fire proof blocks of my said invention for housing or concealing, as well as protecting, active or live members of such electrical devices or appliances, yet without interfering in the least with the safe manipulation or handling of the devices or appliances, and in which Figure 1 is a view in plan, illustrating a sectional insulating-block, one section being complementally grooved, channeled, or recessed and shouldered to receive and hold and the other section, shown partially broken away, slotted and recessed to conceal the live parts and to protect the active or operating members of a knife-switch and cut-out and also to permit of the operation of the switch and removing sidewise of the fuses of such a switch device or appliance without removing the slotted and recessed cover member of the block. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4c are crosssectional views on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a knife-switch provided with fuses mounted in a sectional fire and electric proof block of my invention, the respective sections of the insulated block being complementally grooved or channeled and slotted and recessed to not only house or conceal the-switch and cut-out, but also to thoroughly insulate and protect the said parts from short-circuiting and against shock from any of the live parts of such a device or appliance. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views on the lines 7 7 and 8 8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of another form of knife-switch with a different form of fuse mounted in and protected by an insulating-block of my said invention, showing another application thereto of a somewhat-different but well-known form of electric switch and cut-out with removable fuses. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a top or plan view of still another application of my invention to what is known as a doublethrow electric switch and cut-out with removable fuses extending down into the body of the housed switch in the insulated sectional block. Fig. 18 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in end elevation, of the device illustrated in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a view in detail of the handle for operating the double-throw switch. Fig. 15 is a view in section of the handle of Fig. 14, illustrating a means for holding the handle in operative position. Fig. 16 is a top or plan view, partly broken away, of what is known as a panel switchboard of well-known type in application to an insulated fire and electric proof sectional block of my said invention; and Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view on the line 17 17 of Fig. 16.

Referring to the drawings, A is the insulated block of my invention, which consists of sections CL and a, made of suitable fireproof and electric-proof material, such as porcelain, vulcanized fiber, or other preferred material. Each of these sections is complementally channeled or grooved and recessed for example, as illustratedso that when the device has been applied to one member a to receive and hold the same its complemental member or cover a will conceal the live or active parts of the device, as well as the operating members of the device, yet without interfering, as occasion requires, with the manipulation or safe handling of the operating parts of the device or appliance.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the two sections a and a of the block A have shown in application thereto a well-known type of double-pole main cut-out with a cartridge-fuse c, knife-switch d, and main terminals, to which the wires 1), 1), b and b are suitably connected. In the insulating-section a, near the respective ends of the cover member of the insulating sectional block A, are provided openings a which are fitted with insulated plugs (1 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, to permit of access being had to the terminals of the line or other wires b, b, b, and 1) without removing the cover member ct of the block A. The cartridgefuses c are held to place in recesses 66* and c of the block A by means of terminals 0 and c and protected by the cover member ct of the block, so as to be out of the way, yet readily accessible, as occasion may require, for removal or otherwise handling the same. In order to provide for the ready removal of the fuses c sidewise from the block A, a recess a on each side is provided in the wall of the cover member a adjacent to and above the recesses a and a holding each cartridge-fuse c in position in connection with the terminal 0' and 0 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

In Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, are illustrated a double-pole main cut-out with cartridge-fuses c and knife-switch d of the types hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the main difference in this instance being in the manner of arranging the cartridge-fuses c, which in Figs. 5 to 8 are inserted down through the recesses a and 0. in the cover member a, and into the body of the member a of the sectional insulating-block A. In place of the plugs of, as in Figs 1 to 4, the end sections a and a of the cover member a may be removed by withdrawing the screws securing said sections to the member a to gain access to the terminals of the line or branch wires Z), 19, Z2 and b of the cut-out. The arms 61 and d of the knife-switch d are connected by a handle (1 of insulating material, which in the operative position of the knife-switch d, as shown by the full lines in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, occupy a position in the recess a of the cover member a, while in the inoperative position the arms of the knifeswitch 01 project beyond the recesses a and a of the cover member a, as illustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 6.

It may be here remarked that the actual arrangement of the knife-switch in connection with the block of my invention in Figs. 1 and 2 is the same as illustrated and described in connection with the insulating sectional block A in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

In Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, are illustrated an electrical device with plug cut-outs and a knife-switch and with three main wires b b and b and two sets of branch wires 1), 1), b and b connected with the main wires. In this instance the plug cut-outs c c c and 0 project down through the top of the cover member a of the block A into the receiving and holding member a of the electric device, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. The neutral wire 17 as well as the wires 19 and b are securely housed or concealed between the members a and a, of the insulating sectional block A and are suitably connected with the terminal I)", as clearly illustrated in Fig. 11 of the drawings. I

In Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, are illustrated a double-pole main with a two-throw knifeswitch d having plugs 0 c c and c in the lines I), 19, b and b for cutting out the circuit and a single branch line b in application to and protected by a sectional insulatingblock A, showing all the live or active parts thoroughly protected from giving ofi shock in the handling of the operative parts of such a device and differing in this instance from the forms of insulated blocks as hereinbefore described in that in the cover member a of the block A are provided two oblong slits (0 and a, merging into end slots a and a, whereby the two-throw knife-switch 01 may be shifted from the slot at to the slot e for connecting and disconncctinglthe mains with the branch line. The knife-switch d is provided with a movable handle d secured to the arms d and (1 as shown in Figs. 14: and 15. This handle has slots 61 and 61 formed therein, in which are mounted a cross-bar d and supported in position in the slots of said handle by springs cl. The cross-bar d is provided with projections d adapted to engage the arms (1 and d of the knife-switch cl, so as to hold the handle (1 in its proper operative position and to permit of the turning of the handle on said arms d and (1 as occasion may require, in the operation of the double-throw switch for controlling the mains and branch line through said device. In other respects the switch and cut-out device of Figs. 12 to 15 are the same as already fully explained as to other figures of the drawings and in respect to their application to the sectional insulating-block of the particular characteristic features of my invention for protecting such a device or appliance and preventing shock in the handling of the active and operative parts as well as short-circuiting of the device.

In Figs. 16 and 17 are illustrated a panelboard with knife-switch cut-outs (I, provided with cartridge-fuses c for cutting out the circuits through such a device, shown in application to an insulating sectional fire and electric proof block A of my said invention. The member a of the blockA is recessed and channeled or grooved to receive, hold, and surround the cartridge-fuses c and also the knife-switch d of the board, while the cover member a is slotted and recessed, as shown, to permit of the operating of the switches and also of the insertion or removal of the fuses 0 without removing or disturbing the cover member a of the insulating sectional block A.

From the foregoing description with reference to the several different forms of devices applicable for use and protection in a block of the character of my said invention and as hereinbefore explained it will be observed that the same general characteristic features of formation of the respective members can be carried outthat is, of the one member a, serving as the receiving and holding means for the device or appliance, while the other member a, complementally recessed and slotted or slitted, serves as a cover for the device or appliance-without interfering with the perfectly safe manipulation or handling of the working parts of the device or appliance.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An insulating fire and electric proof block, consisting of a plurality of members, each being complementally grooved or recessed to conceal and surround all parts of the electric device or appliance.

2. An insulating fire and electric proof block, consisting of a plurality of members, each being complementally grooved or recessed to conceal and surround'all parts of the electrical device or appliance, and certain of the members of the block having openings to permit of actuation and of replacing of parts of the electrical device or appliance.

3. An insulating fire. and electric proof block, consisting of a plurality of members, each being complementally grooved or recessed to conceal and surround all parts of the electrical device or appliance, certain of the members of the block having openings to permit of actuation and of replacing parts of the electrical device or appliance, and means adapted to close or plug openings of the certain members of said block.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MCDEVITT. Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

